Disclaimer–J. K. Rowling's world not mine.

Hermione had walked slower than usual on her way back to her flat still thinking about the unusual encounter at the pub; the only trace of the storm had been the puddles of water on the sidewalks. When she opened the door to her flat, Crookshanks was there to greet her on the other side. She scooped him up and nuzzled his head.

"Oh Crookshanks, I don't know what to do," she said as they made their way to the couch. She sat there idly for a moment, until Crookshanks meowed and gave her that, pet me as you tell me about your day look. She smiled and scratched his head.

"You'll never believe what happened to me today," she said to him. He purred in response.

"I saw Draco Malfoy today–at a Muggle pub no less!" Crookshanks let out a loud meow at the revelation. "I know! That's about the last place on Earth I would have expected to run into him." She stopped petting Crookshanks for a minute and went over her encounter with Draco at the bar.

"That wasn't the weirdest part though." Crookshanks nuzzled his head to her hand and she began stroking him again. "He sat down right next to me. Draco Malfoy, in a Muggle pub, actually sought me out. Not only that, but we managed to have a conversation–he and I have never had a civilized conversation ever." She shook her head and continued petting Crookshanks.

"Do you know what he told me," she asked the cat. He looked up at her and blinked. She sighed, "he said that he's just waiting to die." She spoke softly so that her voice could barely be heard over Crookshanks' purring. "It was," she paused trying to find the words. "I don't know, it was weird, Crookshanks. He looked empty and hollow. Does that make sense?" She paused for a minute.

"I never thought I'd feel compassion for Draco Malfoy. He's changed," she added as an afterthought, "he's not the boy I knew in school." She looked down at the cat and continued, "I mean, I'm not naive either. I know what he did and what he planned to do; but something has to be said about the fact that he couldn't bring himself to do it, right?"

Crookshanks meowed in response and she went on, "You know, all these years I never really reckoned him as evil. But then again I could be wrong. Perhaps he is?" He meowed louder this time and Hermione smiled, "Yeah, I didn't think so either."

Crookshanks got up and circled her lap, making himself more comfortable. He knew what Hermione was like when she had something on her mind and figured that they'd be there for a while debating the subject.

"I don't think I should tell anyone about this–not yet anyway. Harry and Ron would have a fit. And the Order–Merlin knows what they'd do. It's not like he'd cooperate with us either, though to be perfectly honest, I don't think there's much information he'd be able to give us. I mean, he fled with Snape that night a year ago. I wonder when he left the Death Eaters? Or why? And how the heck did he end up at that pub?"

She sighed. There were about a million questions running through her mind. "I need some time. I mean, if I could just get through to Draco, talk some sense into him. It doesn't have to be a hopeless situation after all."

Crookshanks began to knead Hermione's thighs but she took no notice. "You wouldn't believe how pale he looks. And thin too," to which Hermione shook her head.

"Though maybe if he would wear something other than black, he wouldn't appear so thin and pale. He was dressed in all black, head to toe," she emphasized. "Shock, I know, but even in Muggle clothes, all black."

Crookshanks didn't seem to care about how strange it was to see Pureblooded Draco Malfoy in Muggle attire. His large yawn made that quite clear to Hermione. She smiled at him.

"He didn't insult me at all, you know." She laughed as she explained to Crookshanks that Draco had even referred to her as his "lady friend" to Paulie. "He's the bartender, you see," she cleared up for him, "at the Paradise Lost." She thought for a minute, "he even said something about my 'pretty little head'. What do you suppose he meant by that?" Crookshanks didn't seem to know.

"Oh, and here's the best part. He thought I wanted to sleep with him! Ha, like that would ever happen." Crookshanks meowed and she went on, "You see, I asked him where he was staying; so he, being Draco Malfoy, smirked at me and took it as my wanting to jump into bed with him, when, in actuality, I really did just want to know where he's staying." She shook her head as a smile crept on her face. "Actually I think it was more of him teasing me to be honest. It wasn't a condescending tone, but more of a teasing one. Either way, he flatters himself if he even thinks that I would ever–well, you know, with him. Ha!"

Hermione then shooed Crookshanks off her lap (much to his irritation) and started wandering around the room, moving things around and tidying up spots that weren't even messy.

"He asked me to meet him again tomorrow, for a drink. Do you think I should go?" Crookshanks turned his back to her, still annoyed at being brushed off her lap. "I could be walking right into a trap," she sighed as she sat back down on the couch. Her cat took this opportunity to reclaim his spot. She laid her head back, not paying attention to Crookshanks, much to his chagrin.

"I don't think it's a trap. I mean, he had the opportunity to try something today but he didn't, right? But maybe that's what he wants. Wait for my guard to be down and then strike." She reflected for a moment and rubbed Crookshanks' neck.

"No, I don't think that's it. You know what I think, Crookshanks?" She paused for a minute, "I don't think Draco has it in him. Harry told me about the night–" she stopped herself. Even now, it still hurt to think about. She shook it off and got a hold of herself.

"Harry said he started to lower his wand. Draco couldn't go through with it. That means something." What it meant exactly, Hermione wasn't sure. She reckoned that, perhaps, there was still a chance for him.

"That settles it, Crookshanks. I'm going back to meet Draco tomorrow." Crookshanks meowed at her. She would like to have thought that he was giving her his blessing for her decision, but she knew it was probably more about his wanting a belly rub. She laughed and pet Crookshanks as he stretched out on her legs. Somehow, with her cat purring contentedly in her lap, things didn't seem as complicated.

Hermione laid in bed later that night with Crookshanks snoozing right beside her. She was thinking about what she would say to Draco tomorrow when a thought popped into her head. When did I start calling him Draco?

Author's Note–I can't believe all the positive feedback the first chapter received. It definitely helped me write this one a little easier and I was eager to get it out to you guys. I thought about some of the stuff you responded to, that I never even thought about, which really helped. Crookshanks' action were greatly influenced by my own cat because I don't think there's too much about his actions in the books. I'm not crazy about this chapter but it's necessary for the future, so hopefully I'll make it up to you guys. Finally (wow I've turned into one of those writers who have really long AN at the end) I noticed once the first chapter got posted some of the words are spliced together. This happened after I uploaded it so I apologize (those things really annoy me when I am reading a fic). Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up later this week (I still need to actually write it first though).